“You don’t have to thank me. It was because of me it happened.”

“Well, I’m thanking you just the same,” Lisa said, gathering up her things. “And now I’m going to get dressed. There’s coffee on if you’d like some.”

“Yeah, maybe I’ll grab a cup.” Ruby took a step and then turned back around. “Hey.”

Lisa stopped at the bedroom door. “Yeah?”

“Um…are you and I all right? I mean, I don’t expect a friendship ring or anything, but—”

“Ruby, to tell you the truth, there’s nothing more I’d like to do than to hate you. I mean, you spent the last several weeks taking up space in Bennett’s bed, and that definitely doesn’t sit well, but you also saved my life, and you didn’t have to. That says a lot, and what you said to me hit home, Ruby. You were right. I was being stupid, so this morning I came clean with Bennett. I told her I love her, and I have so for years, and after a bit of coaxing, she admitted she loves me, too.”

Ruby stopped herself from throwing her arms around Lisa, but there was no stopping the glow of happiness from lighting up Ruby’s face. It was as genuine as genuine gets. “Really?” Ruby chirped. “Wow.”

“It was way more than wow,” Lisa said, opening the bedroom door. “Trust me.”

“Trust you about what?” Bennett said as Lisa came into the room.

Lisa kept her eyes on Bennett as she set down her things. Now, all dressed in black, Bennett had on a skintight leather shell and equally skintight trousers. Lisa tilted her head, remembering Ruby’s ensemble. “Um…I know I’m new to all of this, but those sure do look like fighting clothes.”

“They are,” Bennett said, pulling a pair of boots from the closet. “I don’t know what Max’s thoughts are at the moment, but I can’t imagine he’s going to just sit back and do nothing.”

“About what? You mean about Ruby being Napoleon’s long-lost sister?”

“Oh, Christ,” Bennett said, her mouth dropping open. “That’s right. You don’t know.”

“Know what?”

Bennett glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Look, a lot of things happened yesterday, but if I try to explain it all now, we’ll be late. You need to get dressed, and Ruby and I can explain it on the way. All right?”

“Um…sure.”

***

For the first fifteen minutes of the drive, Lisa sat in the back seat, listening as Bennett and Ruby filled her in on what she didn’t know. When they finished, Lisa paled. “He had your entire family murdered?”

“Yeah,” Ruby said quietly, glancing in the rearview mirror.

“I’m…oh, my God, Ruby, I’m so sorry.”